Safety-platform for car ends.



No.'738,658. PATBNTEDSEPT.8,1903.

' P. CAMPBELL.

Q SAFETY PLATFORM FOR CAR ENDS.

APPLICATION I'ILED APR. 18. 1903. a N0 MODEL.

P6567 6/72 69 .eZZ,

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Iatented September 8, 1903.

PATENT OF ICE.

PETER CAMPBELL, OF GARROLLTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-PLATFORM FO R CAR ENDS.

srEoIFIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,658, dated September a, 1903.

Application filed April 18, 1903. Serial No. 153,309. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER CAMPBELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing'at Garrolltown, in the county of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-Platforms for Car Ends, of which the following is a specification.

structures and leave the coupling means readp so ily accessible, but at the same time close the intervening space between the car ends to avert accidents.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car end with a hinged or movably-connected platform having the free extremity flared upwardly to ride easily over a portion of an approaching car end during the'coupling operation without jamming or injuring the platform, and, furthermore, to permit the end of the platform to shift or move easily over the car end structure on which it rests to compensate forthe swing and motion of the cars during travel of the same.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top. plan view of two car extremities shown coupled and two platforms arranged in operative relation thereto. Fig.2 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a car end, showing the improved platform thereon and in lowered position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of a car end, showing aslight modification in the platform construction.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 designate cars having of longitudinal bars 6, to which are secured transverse bars 7, the outer bars 6 being equal in lengthjand providing the means of attachment of the platform to the car end. The bars 6 and 7 are spaced apart to form a grating to permit snow or other material to fall therethrough and avoid accumulations thereon. The free end of the platform 5 is flared upwardly, as clearly shown by Fig. 2, and to arrive at this result each of the bars *6 have their free ends, which are in alinement, turned upwardly, as at 8. The object of upwardly-flaring the free end of the platform is to permit it to ride over the end sill of an approaching car when coupling two cars and overcome any tendency of breaking or jamming the platform. The platform 5 is attached to the end of the car at one side of the center, and each car carries a single platform, the platform on two car ends which are adapted to be coupled being in reversed positions, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1. By arranging the platforms in this manner the intervening space between the car ends is reliably closed when the platforms are down and the coupling-heads 4: are exposed to render the coupling-pins freely accessible, so that they may be engaged from the car ends during the coupling anduncoupling operations. When the platform is not in use, it is turned up against the car end and secured by a turn hook or catch 9, arranged at a suitable elevation above the end sill and adapted to be rotated to take over one of the cross-bars 7, as clearly shown by Fig. 3.

The modified form of the device shown by Fig. 3 is similar to that just described, but in this instance supporting means are provided in connection with the car ends which are devoid of end sillsto replace the latter. Each car on opposite sides of the center-has an outstanding rectangular frame'ld with corner braces 11, that may bevaried to suit different structures of this class of cars. The

platform in this modified construction, to-

the car over the frame 10, the opposite frame being adapted to receive the free end of the like platform on the adjacent car end when two cars without end sills are coupled. Moreover, the form of car shown by Fig. 3, carrying a platform, may be coupled with a car having an end sill, and in this event one platform will freely bear on the end sill and the other on the platform 10. By having the platform arranged over the frame 10 on car ends without end sills an additional support is given to said platform when it is in operative position.

It will be understood that the improved platform attachment may be applied to a boxcar, gondola, or any other type of freight-car, and to accommodate different applications changes in proportions, dimensions, and minor details in construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- i 1. The combination with a car end, of a safety-platform hinged thereto and adapted to be lowered in a horizontal position, the

was

said platform being applied at one side ofthe center of the car end andhaving the free end thereof flared upwardly.

2. The combination with a car end,of safetyplatforms hinged thereto, one on each, the platforms being attached to one side of the center of their respective car ends in reverse positions and having their inner opposing side portions, when down in horizontal position, spaced apart from each other, the free ends of the platforms being upwardly flared to cause them to automatically ride over portionsof the car ends when the latter approach, and coupling-heads carried by the car ends and exposed through the interval between the inner side portions of the platforms.

3. The combination with a car end, of a safety-platform connected thereto and adapted to be lowered in horizontal position, the free end of the platform being upwardlyflared.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER CAMPBELL.

Witnesses ALEXANDER GRIEFF, DENNIS WEAKHEARD. 

